HV Coronavirus: New Jobs Data Show The Before And After

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — New data from the New York State Labor Department bring the contrast between the pre- and post-pandemic economy into sharp relief.

According to preliminary figures released Thursday, the state's unemployment rate in February was 8.9 percent. In February 2020 it was 3.9 percent.

The region's metro areas recorded steep losses in private-sector jobs over the 12 months ending in February.

In Dutchess-Putnam, private-sector jobs shrank by 9.9 percent; in Kingston, by 10.8 percent; and in Orange-Rockland-Westchester, by 10 percent.

Statewide, every industry sector showed job losses, and the numbers were biggest in the sectors that had been driving the economy — leisure and hospitality, health and education, trade and transportation and professional and business services.

As of January, the unemployment rate by county was 6.1 percent in Dutchess, 6.6 percent in Orange, 5.8 percent in Putnam, 6.1 percent in Rockland, and 6.7 percent in Ulster and in Westchester, the labor department reported earlier in March.

Note: Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties and municipalities with population of at least 25,000.